The Week: February 23-27, 2009

Another sign that winter is waning arrives this week in the form of Fat Tuesday and its post-indulgence companion Ash Wednesday. Don't hold back and take full advantage of: The Big Eat; a talk by Deepak Chopra; and live music by The Visitations, Mama Digdown's Brass Band, The Appleseed Cast, Harlan Jefferson & So-So Tight, Jonathan Coulton, Cornmeal, and Po' Girl.

Isthmus' benefit for Family Centers features tasty morsels from 20 local food purveyors, plus a children's cooking demo and music of Harmonious Wail. Rarely has stuffing your face been such a boon to the community.

Deepak Chopra

Masonic Center, 7 pm

The internist, endocrinologist and big kahuna of alternative medicine appears to spread wisdom and sign books.

The Visitations

Frequency, 9 pm

The latest offspring of the Athens, Ga., indie-rock movement -- and the Elephant 6 Collective, which spawned Of Montreal, Elf Power and Neutral Milk Hotel -- visit Madison to show off their latest album, 2008's The Conundrum Tree. Also playing: Zola Jesus, Alex DeGroot, Peaking Lights, the New Loud.

The Appleseed Cast -- known for its intricate, guitar-heavy post-rock -- visits town with a new drummer and bassist and a soon-to-be-released album, Sagarmatha. Learn more about the band and the recording from guitarist Aaron Pillar in this week's Tour Stop. El Valiente and Frail By Design open.

Harlan Jefferson & So-So Tight

R Place on Park, 9 pm

Born into a musical family, Jefferson began playing jazz saxophone professionally when he was 13. Over the years, he's worked soul, funk and gospel into the mix and has opened for Funkadelic, Regina Carter and pre-scandal R. Kelly. His weekly set with drummer Rick Flowers and keyboardist Cheeseburger McClain is a surefire way to liven up a Wednesday night.

Thursday 2.26

Noteworthy: Bomb explodes in World Trade Center garage, killing six and injuring more than 1,000, 1993.

Birthdays: R&B great Fats Domino, 1928; R&B great Erykah Badu, 1971.

Jonathan Coulton

Barrymore Theatre, 7:30 pm

Ex-computer programmer Coulton has made fans out of all sorts of fellow nerds -- viewers of The Daily Show, readers of the comic strips Penny Arcade and xkcd, and Popular Science enthusiasts, who know him as the magazine's "Contributing Troubadour" -- with his acoustic cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" and his theme song for the video game Portal. Comedy duo Paul & Storm opens.

Cornmeal

High Noon Saloon, 9 pm

A lot of bands are into roots rock these days, but few put on a live show as solid as Cornmeal's, which takes cues from both traditional and progressive bluegrass forebears. With the Henhouse Prowlers, the Station.

Po' Girl

Cafe Montmartre, 9 pm

Though Canadian threesome Po' Girl has been compared to Tracy Chapman and 10,000 Maniacs, its style of music --which features gutbucket bass, dobro, accordion and a host of other instruments -- is a unique blend of vintage and modern, northern and southern, urban and rural. Also playing: JT & the Clouds.

ARTS & CULTURE

With garage rock ambitions, remarkable chemistry and a dedication to songcraft, Bobby Hussy and Heather Sawyer’s partnership has flourished in the seven years since the Hussy was born in an east-side Madison basement.more »

A longtime staple of the Madison music scene, Jimmy Voegeli and his band, the Jimmys, have carved out an old-school Chicago blues niche fueled by horns, Hammond B-3, funk and fun. They aim to have their new CD available Aug. 7 at Live on King Street.more »

Alvin and Verlie began writing letters in 1942 when Alvin was drafted into the Army to serve in World War II. Eight years ago, their grandson — the lead singer of We Are the Willows — inherited the surviving 350 letters and wrote an album about them.more »

I’d call La Rosita one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Madison area, except it’s not really a restaurant. It’s a grocery store. The open kitchen is tucked in next to a massive meat counter in the back of the store.more »

When it’s hot and humid, there’s little more refreshing than an absinthe frappé. Vom Fass, 119 State St., recently threw an absinthe party; its Libertine 72 will make a cooling, memorable version.more »

Norwegian Wood IPA has periodically made an appearance on the Grumpy Troll’s taps over the years. This year’s version was made using the original recipe developed by a local homebrewer in fall 2005.more »